To be with you
by J20TWENTY
Summary: AU- Aeris returns to Midgar to study the Earth where she meets Sephiroth. But finding love is a rocky road for someone with scars as deep as his. RR. Aeriseph.
1. Default Chapter

I'm having a break from writing Teen Titans, so I'm going to write a fanfic on my favourite game ever, Final Fantasy VII. My favourite pairing is Aeris/Sephiroth, and this is gonna be an Aeriseph.

This story is AU, and it occurs while our favourite characters are starting University. Everyone will feature of course, except Cait Sith and Nanaki for obvious reasons. There will be no super powers or anything like that, just normal average students. Other pairings will be Cloud/Tifa, Vincent/Yuffie/Reno (Triangle), Cid/Shera and maybe some other's.

All reviews are welcome and I look forward to all I receive. Any criticism is just as long as you can help me improve my writing style and the story.

And if my story contains something that another has, then just review and tell me. Sorry if I do, but there are so many stories out there it could well happen and I'll give due credit.

On with the fic, and enjoy all the great Aeriseph moments that this fic will contain. Oh, and my stories tend to be long to allow the plot to develop.

And remember, REVIEW.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII.

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Aeris sat down restlessly, looking out at the endless green hills that the train travelled through. She loved the countryside, and it ached her to take the train when she would rather be out the walking and picking flowers. Aeris always loved anything that was alive and she did all she could to help preserve nature. She was an active member of AVALANCHE, a protest group organized to help raise awareness to pollution problems caused by the large companies which plagued the earth. Their weekly rallies and fundraising events were working, with the general public starting to notice their plight.

Aeris could feel the train slowing down as it reached their destination. The looming presence of Midgar confirmed her suspicions. She used to live there until a few years ago with her mother, but she left to go to a school in Cosmo Canyon where the group AVALANCHE had formed. The school were renowned for their earth studies, and Aeris had begged her mother to send her there.

'These last three years have been fun, but I sure miss my mother' she thought silently, feeling a mixture of excitement and regret. She was excited that she was going to see her mother again, but she still regretted having to leave Cosmo Canyon. As the train slowly pulled up to the outskirts of the gigantic city, Aeris could see the plumes of smoke and the desolated the nearby countryside. She turned away from the window, fighting back the tears that threatened to escape and embarrass her in front of the other occupants of the carriage.

'Such stupidity' she thought angrily, 'this beautiful world is slowly being destroyed by pollution'

She could feel the deep rumbling of the brakes as the train finally pulled into the station, ending her journey. Dusk was just settling in, and it cast long shadows across the platforms. Unloading her suitcase from the luggage bay she stepped off the train and onto the busy platform. As she looked around she couldn't help but smile at all the reunited people as they happily hugged each other and chattered away. She loved seeing people happy, it just came natural to her. She would do anything to make others around her happy even if it wasn't in her best interest to do so.

"Aeris, honey, you're back!" cried a voice, braking her from her musings. She quickly spun to see her mother running across the platform to her. Smiling widely she crossed the distance with equal eagerness.

"Oh Mom, I missed you!" she cried as she grabbed her mother tightly, hugging her closely. She could feel tears escape her eyes as she cried happily, once again reunited with her mother. Elmyra felt her own eyes watering up as held her daughter for her life, fearing to let go.

"Aeris, I missed you too" she told her daughter. Aeris smiled and raised her head to meet her mother's face.

"Well, I'm back now" she said to her mother. Elmyra smiled brightly at her daughter as she wiped away her tears.

"I know, dear. You must be tired from your journey, so let's head home" Elmyra said, picking up her daughter's suitcase.

Aeris smiled. _Home_. 'I haven't heard that for a while' she thought. She followed her mother down the small steps and off the platform. As she looked around the slums she could see the dank desolation that plagued the city. Suddenly a thought hit home, leaving her speechless.

'This place is so dangerous, and I left my mother here all alone' Aeris turned to see her mother walking by her side. Elmyra was still smiling brightly like a little school girl, almost skipping next to her daughter. Aeris couldn't help but feel guilty about leaving her mother to fend for herself.

"Mom, I'm sorry about going away and leaving you here" she said quietly, not sure that her mother heard her. Elmyra turned to look at her daughter.

"Where did that come from, honey. You shouldn't feel bad about going away, you're a young adult and I want you to be happy. So don't feel sorry, dear" she told her daughter.

Aeris smiled as she wiped away her tears "Thanks mom" was all she could say.

They continued the rest of their journey in comfortable silence. They both missed each other so they just enjoyed their time together. Aeris remembered how dangerous the slums were, full of thieves and other criminals. She threw a few nervous glances around her as she could hear the drunken men stumble nearby as they left the bars.

As they reached their house, Aeris eyes watered up again as she returned to her home for eighteen years. It was exactly as she remembered it, even down to the last detail. As they stepped through the doorway Elmyra let out a sigh and closed the door, glad they made it through without any trouble.

A sense of happiness swept through Aeris as she entered the house. She was back home, even though it was dangerous here she finally felt at home once more. Glancing back at her mother who had neatly placed her suitcase on the floor, she headed out the backdoor and into a small garden. She gasped at the sight of colourful flowers everywhere with the slight fragrance gently brushing hr senses.

"Mom, I didn't know you kept the garden in good shape…" she called to her mother who was joining her outside.

"Oh yes, I knew you loved this garden so I didn't want it to waste away" she answered Aeris as she came up to stand next to her. Briefly looking up to the skies at the threatening rain clouds above, she tapped her daughter's shoulder.

"Come on Aeris, let's go inside. It's going to rain anytime soon" she told her. Aeris nodded and followed her mother indoors.

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After unpacking Aeris joined her mother in the living room, her cup of tea already waiting for her.

'Ahh, I missed my mother's tea…'she told herself.

"So Aeris, are you excited about tomorrow?" her mother asked her. Aeris was starting her first day of university tomorrow, taking a further course in her Earth Studies.

"Yep" she chirped happily, nodding her head. She glanced at the clock. It was late and she needed to be up early tomorrow for her first day at university. Saying goodnight to her mother she went upstairs to her bedroom. It was exactly as she left it, even down to the smallest detail. Getting changed into her nightwear she slipped into bed, hoping to get a goodnight's sleep for tomorrow.

_Well, the first chapter has been completed. Not much action or anything and it was pretty short, but it'll get better in the next chapter. Get ready for the next chapter where Aeris starts her first day and meets the rest of the characters, including Sephiroth._

_And remember…_**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

Here's chapter 2. This chapter should introduce everyone into the story, and should hopefully be long. As always, enjoy and review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII

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Aeris could only stare in wonder at the size of the buildings in front of her, towering high above.

'Gods,' she thought, 'This place is massive! How can I find anything?' Moving off towards the largest of the buildings she decided to find someone who could show her around. She looked around her in an attempt to get her bearings, but the sheer scale of the place put her off.

'I hope I don't get lost around here…I don't want to look like an idiot' she thought. She smiled at the image of her running around clueless. '_That would make for a good first impression_' she added.

As she approached the largest building she saw a large gathering of people standing around the entrance.

'Hmm…they all look as lost as me' she thought as she made her way over there. Surely enough, the crowd were the first years, all starting university for the first time. Already they had divided themselves into smaller groups in an attempt to create as many friends as they could. A little unnerved at the prospect of breaking into one of the groups, Aeris stayed a little off to the side. As she observed the amiable chattering of the people, she finally noticed another person standing off on their own.

As she looked closer she could see that person was a man. The first thing she noticed was that the man had long, silver hair running all the way down his back. He wore all black which flattered his lean but nice figure, with matching silver bracelets and necklaces. As he turned around she noticed he had the most striking green eyes she had ever seen.

'Oh my, he rather handsome isn't he' she thought, blushing, 'and he's alone. Perhaps I should go over and keep him company'

Aeris moved over to him, through the crowd of people. She was about to open her mouth to talk to him when a figure jumped in front of her. Aeris started and drew a breath in quickly, trying to compose herself.

"Hey there! You look a little lost, don't worry about it! Were all lost too! You can come over and join us!" the girl blurted out, going a mile a minute. Before Aeris had a chance to say anything in return the girl had grabbed her hand and dragged her away through the crowd.

"Come on now! Were all the way over here! Oh, by the way my name is Yuffie!" the girl said breathlessly as she continued to drag Aeris along. Aeris smiled as she allowed Yuffie to drag her to her friends.

'My, she's very excited and upbeat' she though as she was dragged over to a small group of friends. As she approached them she carefully studied each one individually.

The first person she noticed was a huge, dark skinned man. He had a craggily beard that covered the lower half of his face. He wore a dark green waistcoat and a small t-shirt that covered little of his mid-drift. She could already hear his deep rumbling voice from where she was.

The next man was standing to his left. He had spiked blonde hair and he wore all blue. His blue shirt cut off at his shoulders, leaving his wiry arms uncovered. He had bright blue eyes that seemed to match his clothes and he had black bracelets to complete his look. He was smiling and laughing at something a girl was saying in front of her.

The girl in front of her had long dark brown hair with eyes to match her hair colour. She wore a white t-shirt that showed off her stomach and arms, and she had a small skirt that showed off a lot of her legs. Her skirt was attracting a lot of attention from many of the male members of the crowd, but it didn't seem to affect her at all. She laughed along with her blonde friend as she looked at the man standing behind her, trying to join him in the conversation.

Standing next to her was an older man who didn't fit in with the rest of the youngsters that were assembled here. He wore brown trousers with a dark blue jacket which covered a grey shirt. He had a day's hair growth on his face and he had a mess of dirty blonde hair upon his head. He was barking with laughter at what the short blonde man was saying to him and the rest of them. As he laughed he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. As he breathed in a large drag of the cigarette he turned to the woman who standing next him, gesturing to her skirt and laughing. Whatever he said didn't have the same effect on her as it did on the others as she slapped him hard on the back of the head.

Even thought Aeris couldn't hear what the man said, she thought she had some clue about the content. Smiling to herself she thought these were nice people to be around, their care free demeanour was catching and refreshing. As she came closer she could hear their words clearly now above the general noise that the large crowd was making.

"Sorry Tifa" she could hear the older man say "Come on; learn to take a joke or something. Damn, you sure got a hard clip on you" he said a he winced. The brunette laughed in response at the man's words.

"Sorry Cid, but you kinda asked for it" she laughed as she told the man. Aeris realized their names were Cid and Tifa, and both seemed nice people.

As they approached she heard Yuffie call out to them, gaining their attention. Smiling brightly and waving like a banshee she practically jumped over to where they were standing. They grinned and waved back, gesturing them to come join them.

"Hey guys, this is Aeris" she told them. They all smiled politely and said hello in turn. Yuffie turned to the group and introduced them one by one.

"Aeris, this if Tifa!" she squealed happily. She pushed them towards each other as they shook hands. Smiling, Tifa smiled apologetically at her new friend.

"Sorry about this, but she's rather excitable" she told her. They both laughed at Yuffie's expression. However, her sad façade didn't last long and she immediately resumed her hyper-activity.

"Hey, you'll get used to me! Anyway, this is Barret!" she told Aeris. She dragged the frail girl over to the large bear-like man. Smiling, Aeris gently took his hand shook it. Barret laughed heartily at Aeris' as he shook her small hand, engulfing it within his own.

"Hey there, seemed to lose yer hand" he laughed at the size difference between them. The rest of the group laughed along with them. Releasing his hand Aeris turned to the man next to Tifa, the one called Cid. Smiling brightly at him she walked over and took his hand.

"Aeris, this is Cid!" she heard Yuffie say next to her. Cid smiled back at her in a cocky manner. After a brief hello he released her hand and allowed her to be taken away by Yuffie to meet the remaining member of the group.

"Last but not least" Yuffie said quickly "This is Cloud" she spoke as she introduced them. Up close Aeris noticed he was handsome too, and his blonde locks were spiked in every direction. He had boyish good looks and a nice physique which seemed to suit his height. Aeris smiled warmly at him, and what she referred to as 'boyfriend material'.

"Hey Aeris, how are you?" he asked politely. _Wow, even his voice suits him, _she thought. Still smiling brightly she left her hand linger a little longer in his, trying to get some sort of reaction from him. Aeris wasn't a fast girl, but she loved some harmless flirting.

"I'm fine, and you?" she asked. Cloud smiled back at her and nodded, his locks of blonde hair bouncing around on his hair. Yuffie appeared next to them as she cleared her throat, telling them that there were other's here too.

"So, if you two guys would stop fawning over each other, then we might go join the rest of the crowd?" she shouted as she creased up with laughter. Both blushing furiously, Cloud and Aeris glared at the younger girl as they silently made their way over to the main building.

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The group walked into the large stone building that was the main hall. The ceiling stood a massive two hundred feet from the ground and the walls were intricately designed and carved. The ceiling itself was a dirty cream colour showing signs of old age and the occasional statue was starting to crack and crumble. A tour guide pushed her way to the front of the crowd and jumped onto a large platform that had been built.

"Okay Ladies and Gentlemen, listen up" she called out to the group. She had mid length blonde hair that stopped by her neck. She wore a dark blue suit but her figure could still be seen underneath the dark blue fabric. A few of the men in audiences let out some cat calls and wolf whistles to the amusement of the crowd. Some the women were not amused, including the woman and the stage, and sent disapproving glances at the males who made the comments.

"Anyway" the lady continued "My name is Elena and I'm your student representative, so any questions or problems should be brought to me personally" This last remark resulted in more calls from the male portion of the crowd. After more laughter Elena carried on with her speech. She talked about the various services that the university had to offer, causing more audacious comments from the men, and how the university run and so forth. Several minutes later Elena left the students to get acquainted with each other. Another guide came forth and showed them down the long grey corridor towards the exit. The man had long red hair and he introduced himself as Reno, the authority on student affairs. Even though Elena was the student representative it was Reno's job to keep the students in check, but he often failed his job. More often than not he was drinking with the students and generally being a bad influence on them. The only reason he kept his job was because Principal ShinRa thought he was popular with the students.

"Anyway down here is the canteen where most of you will eat your food, but more often than not you may venture out to many of the restaurants nearby" Reno told them as they entered a large hall. Many rows of tabled and chairs filled the room and a large kitchen could be seen at the end of the room.

"If you would all like top sit down you can have something to drink. Not Alcoholic, yet" he added mischievously. A few of the female members giggled and battered their eyelids at him.

"Anyway, today there won't be any lessons so you can stay here for an hour or two then go back to the halls or wherever you live. Then tomorrow the lessons will begin and you'll start the best three years of your lives" he told them. A cheer went up around the canteen as the students heartily agreed with him. With that he said a quick goodbye and left the students to their own devices.

Aeris, Yuffie, Barret, Tifa, Cid and Cloud sat on a table towards the corner of the canteen. They talked about themselves and told various stories about their childhoods and what they were doing here.

Tifa was here doing a course in business management, and harboured a dream of owning her own bar. She loved the sun and wanted to open her own bar in Costa Del Sol, a small but popular tourist haven. Her father was in Nibelheim and had supported her dream of owning her own place, but he didn't support her short dresses.

"One time" Tifa was telling them "he got this woman in to extend my dresses. By the time I came home all of my skirts were down past my knees and nearly by my ankles" she laughed. The rest of them laughed with her, with the boys silently thanking whatever God that spared the skirt she was wearing today.

Cid was a thirty six year old ex-pilot who still worked for the Air Force. Over time the planes had changed, yet Cid was hadn't. He was sent here for retraining in Physics at an expensive cost, but the Air Force recognised him as one of the best pilots in the world and gladly paid for him. He was living with a woman called Shera who lived in Rocket Town, but for the next year he was living in one of the dorms in Midgar.

Barret was twenty five year old ex-miner. After living in Corel Town all his life he worked in the mines that were there. After the company went bankrupt he was forced to find another job. After several failed attempts he decided he needed to retrain to enter the work force. He heard about the mature student programme that Midgar University had to offer and gladly joined up on a Leisure and Tourism course.

Yuffie was eighteen years old and she was from Wutai. After the soveignty in Wutai had collapsed the country went into a recession. Many businesses went bust and the country was in trouble. After a few dark years the country began to pick up and the tourism trade boomed in Wutai. Yuffie decided that she needed to escape the country that she had felt sold out too easily, so she ended up in Midgar University doing a course in Therapy and Psychology. Her choice of course however amused the rest of the friends greatly.

"What's wrong with me doing that course?" she asked. No-one answered her as they laughed heartily, nearly falling off their seats. Wiping her eye's Aeris turned to Cloud and asked what he was doing.

"Well, I'm from the same town Teef is" he said, smiling at Tifa's nickname. Tifa scowled at him before breaking out into a smile at her childhood friend.

"Anyway, I'm only here for one year then I'm off to the Army" he told them. After a supportive nod from Cid and Barret, all three girls looked a little put off.

"But isn't it dangerous in the Army?" Aeris asked him. No-one could miss the interest Aeris was taking in Cloud, with most of questions directed at him. Tifa couldn't help feel a twinge of jealousy every time they talked about something.

"Yeah, but it's what I want to do" he told her. After accepting this everyone turned their eyes to Aeris.

"So, what's you story" Yuffie asked her. Smiling, Aeris told them about her time in Cosmo Canyon and her decision to take an Earth Studies course.

"So, you're a tree hugger?" asked Cid. Scowling furiously Aeris turned to him.

"No I'm not, I just don't want the planet's natural beauty to die" she told him. Smiling at the reaction he got he chuckled quietly to himself.

"Don't worry Aeris, Cid's just a little rough around the edges" Tifa told her. At this Cid threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"Yeah Aeris" he laughed. Soon enough the others joined in his infectious laughter. Soon enough a woman came around holding a tray of orange juice for them. Smiling thankfully they took a cup each and carried on their conversation.

Aeris' eyes followed the woman as she offered the drinks around the canteen. Everyone accepted a drink until she came to man standing in the corner on his own. As she offered him a glass he quickly shook his head and shrugged her off.

'That's the man I saw outside' she thought as she recognised him. He wasn't talking to anyone and everyone pretty much kept their distance from him. Turning to her friends, Aeris gestured to the man in the corner.

"Does anyone know who he is?" she asked them. Everyone shook their heads except for Yuffie.

"I tired to talk to him earlier, but he just shrugged me off" she told them. Nodding at her answer the rest of them resumed their conversation while Aeris stared at the silver-haired man. Deciding to go talk to him, she got up from the table and looked at her friends.

"I'm going to go see if he wants to join us" she explained to them. She quickly made her way over to the other side of the canteen where the man was standing. As she got closer she could see his handsome features. His eyes were closed at the moment but she could still remember the colour, they were bright green. As she approached him she started to feel nervous, but was unsure why.

'Stop it Aeris' she told herself. She wasn't' going to make a fool out of herself on their first meeting. She finally pushed her way through the crowd and stood next to him. He failed to acknowledge her presence until he heard her voice.

"Hello there, my name is Aeris" she told him.

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There we go, another chapter done. I hope you all read this and enjoy, and any criticism will be most helpful as long as it's constructive. 


	3. Chapter 3

Here is chapter 3 of my story. In this one we'll finally see Aeris and Sephiroth talk and maybe Vincent will be introduced. I'm not sure.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII…

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Sephiroth could see everyone talking to each other in the canteen, basically ignoring him. When he arrived earlier many people tried to talk to him, mostly girls. They blatantly walked up to him, fluttering their eyelashes while swaying their hips. Many people had called him handsome but he never gave anyone the time of day, but even with his limited knowledge on girls he still knew when they tried to flirt with him.

Even though many had tried this morning, they all failed, including that annoying youngster from Wutai. He had no time for distractions when he had training to do.

As he stood alone on the corner of the canteen he spotted a short young woman walking towards him. She had a pink dress on and gold bracelets on either wrist. From what he could tell she had long brown hair as it slightly swayed as it hung in the air. As she got closer he could see her green eyes full of life and warmth. Turning away, he hoped she didn't come to start a conversation with him.

"Hello, my name is Aeris" he heard her say. She had sweet voice that seemed to carry in the air. Closing his eyes, he tried to ignore her and hopefully she would leave him alone.

"Excuse me" she said, still in the same sweet tone. Sighing, Sephiroth turned to look down at her. Up close he could see how green her eyes were and how soft her skin looked. Puzzled at his thoughts, he pushed them down to the back of his mind.

Looking down at her, he didn't respond. He simply waited for her to continue whatever she had to say, then finally leave him in peace.

"I said, my name is-" she began again, but a wave of the hand cut her off.

"I heard what you said" he told her as she looked stunned.

"Then why didn't you answer me?" she asked him, feeling a little hurt that she was being blatantly ignored.

"I didn't see the need to answer you" he told her evenly. With that he turned to the rest of the canteen with his side facing her. Stunned by his response Aeris simply nodded and looked at her feet.

"Um, okay…I'm sorry I bothered you" she said sadly. Sephiroth couldn't help but feel guilty at what he said to her and how he acted. He watched her walk sullenly away back towards a table in the corner of the canteen. He saw her sit down with her friends as they resumed their conversation, throwing angry glances his way.

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Aeris sat down at the table with her new found friends, her embarrassment and hurt still plain to see. She kept thinking about the man who just ignored her in front of everyone in the canteen.

'What a jerk' she thought to herself. She looked back at him where he stood, still silent and rigid as if he were a statue. Sure he was handsome, but he was arrogant and full of himself.

'Didn't see the need to answer me' she thought angrily. As she continued to stare at him he wouldn't move, until by some unseen force he slowly turned to look at her, catching her eyes. Blushing furiously she turned back to the table where the rest of her new friends were talking.

'Damn, he caught me ogling him' she thought, as she tried to strike up a conversation with Cid. He told her all about the Air Force and his life in Rocket Town while she explained her time in Cosmo Canyon and her membership in AVALANCHE.

"So Aeris" Cloud asked as he turned to her "Where are you staying? Are you staying in the dorms or do you live around here?"

"My mother lives in Midgar, in the slums" she told him. They all slightly gasped at her answer, earning them a confused look from her.

"What?" she asked

"You live there? Aren't they dangerous?" asked Tifa. Aeris nodded at her question, wondering if the slums were that notorious around the world.

"Are you sure you should be staying there?" asked Cloud, concern etched across his face. Tifa threw him a quick glance before turning back to Aeris, hoping no-one saw her. Aeris noticed the look, deciding that Tifa might have some feelings for her blonde friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine" she told him. Could still didn't look convinced at her answers, but decided to let it rest for the moment. As they continued their drinks they talked about the upcoming year and the rest of their time at the university. Only Cloud wasn't staying here for three years, he was off to the Army after the first year.

After awhile the conversation died down and the events of the day were slowly catching up to them. They could see the rest of the students slowly leave the canteen and they decided to follow suit. As they reached the main gates Cloud turned to Aeris.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" he asked her. Aeris blushed at the kind gesture but shook her head in reply, and she could see Tifa tense at the exchange.

"No it's okay, I don't live that far away" she told him. As he opened his mouth to argue the point further she cut him off.

"I'll be fine, after all I lived her for eighteen years so I'll be okay" she told, slightly touched at his persistence. Sighing in defeat Cloud smiled at her.

"Okay then, but be careful" he told her. Behind him Cid and Barret were making kissing noises behind him, giggling at their friends concern like a couple of school girls. Turning back angrily he cut them off with a glare, with the only occasional stifle of laughter could be heard. Taking the opportunity Yuffie bounded forward at hugged Aeris.

"Be safe when you walk home, and tell me about it tomorrow. And then I'll tell you about the time I-" she began but was cut off by Tifa.

"Calm down Yuffie, we'll see her tomorrow" she told the young Wutian. Turning to Aeris she smiled politely at her.

"Watch out and I'll see you at the canteen at about 9 'o' clock" she told her. Even though she was on the verge of going out with Cloud she still couldn't be mad at the woman, she was too nice. Aeris smiled and nodded in response. Suddenly, a strong hand patted her on the back, jolting her forward.

"Be safe, these damn slums are dangerous" she heard Barret telling her. She turned around and offered the large man a smile.

"Aw shucks, ain't this a touching scene" Cid said as he offered his hand to Aeris. Smiling warmly at him she politely shook his hand.

"Take care when you walk home, kiddo" he told her. After saying her thanks and her goodbye's for the night she started her short journey home in the slums of Midgar.

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As Aeris walked home she could see the effects of pollution everywhere she looked. It wasn't only effecting the planet, but it endangering the lives of people too. The effects were bad air, poor water and a short food supply but the population never learned or listened to the members of AVALANCHE.

She could see the public drunkenness and promiscuous behaviour of the residents, feeling once again the guilt of leaving her mother behind. As she got closer to her home she smiled brightly at the welcoming sight it offered her. It was still early in the day, about midday, but she wanted nothing more than to just go home and curl up on the sofa and relax.

As she walked up to the front door she could hear two voices from inside. One was her mothers' and one was dinsticively male. She giggled at the thought of her mother having a secret boyfriend, so she decided to catch them. Opening the door she could see someone's bags next to the couch.

'Maybe he's staying for a few days' she thought. Hearing the voices from the kitchen she crossed the room towards the two 'lovebirds'.

"Hey mom, I'm home!" she called out, hoping to interrupt whatever they were talking about. She respected her mothers privacy and she didn't want to eavesdrop. She saw the door opening and her mother walked out, smiling at her daughter.

"Hey honey, how was your day?" she asked cheerfully. Aeris smiled at her mother's happy demeanor, apparently this man was making her happy.

"I'm fine, but I'm a little tired" she told her mother. Gesturing to the door Aeris smiled at her mother.

"So mom, who's your mystery man?" she asked her. Elmrya blushed at her comments, sending her daughter into a giggling fit. Her mother hushed quickly, trying hard not to alert the man in the kitchen.

"Oh shush" her mother told her "It's not what you think" Elmrya said.

"Oh sure" her daughter said between her giggles.

"Remember when I said I was going to put up the spare room for rent?" she asked her daughter. Aeris nodded, remembering it was in one of the letters her mother had sent her.

"Well, a tenet just arrived and he's in the kitchen" she told her daughter. Calming down, Aeris looked towards the kitchen and then back to her mother.

"He's in the University just like you" Elmrya continued.

"Really? Then I might have met him today" she told her mother. Nodding, her mother turned to the kitchen and gestured for her to follow.

"Come on and meet him. Be warned, he isn't much on conversation" she told her. Aeris only nodded in response to her mother's comment, thinking back her failed attempts to talk to the man with silver hair. Elmrya opened the door and made way for her daughter.

As Aeris walked in she was greeted with sight of a man dressed in black sitting at the kitchen table, with long silver hair running down his back. She paused in shock at the very man who had shunned her so blatantly in the canteen.

"Aeris, I would like you to meet Sephiroth"

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Ta Da! Done. What will happen now Aeris and Sephiroth have to share a house?


	4. Chapter 4

Here is chapter 4. Now that Sephiroth is the lodger, what will happen? Obviously a romance, but it'll take a while. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII…

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Aeris stood in shock at the man who sat the kitchen table, slowly drinking a cup of water. He appeared as if he didn't even notice her, and he failed to acknowledge her prescence as she stood in the doorway. Elmyra failed to notice her daughter's surprise as she dragged her further into the kitchen.

"Come along Aeris, there's no need to be shy" she said, mistaking her daughters reluctance for shyness. Aeris only nodded as she journeyed further into the kitchen. Coughing to get Sephiroth's attention she pulled Aeris forward to her side and gestured to the young man sitting down.

"Sephiroth, this is my daughter, Aeris" she told him. He simply looked her way and gave a curt nod before looking back at his glass of water he held in his hands. Sighing quietly Elmyra prodded her daughter to say something to him. Glaring at her mother she cleared her throat to get his attention, but it didn't work.

'Oh Gods' she thought 'how hard is it to talk to this person'.

"Hello Sephiroth, it's nice to meet you again" she told him. Giving only a slight nod to acknowledge her words he continued to drink from his glass.

"Have you two met before?" Elmyra asked her daughter. Aeris turned to her mother.

"Yes mom, we met at the university" she told her. Elmyra smiled in response and looked towards the brooding man sitting at the table.

"Well that's good then, I won't have to introduce you two" she said. Aeris could only offer a forced smile, remembering the way he had totally ignored her earlier.

"Well, we have discussed the business so perhaps you could show Sephiroth to his room now, dear?" Elmyra asked her daughter. Aeris nodded to her mother as she watched the young man rise out of his chair. She couldn't help but notice his athletic figure as he rounded the table and walked next to her. Picking up his bags he motioned for her to show him the way to his room.

Aeris led the way out of the kitchen and into the main room. She couldn't help but think of the mysterious man walking behind her. She had always been drawn to the strong, silent type. She felt as if they had something they needed help with, and being the type of person she was she felt compelled to help them.

As they made their way up the stairs Aeris suddenly felt a bit self conscious, wondering whether Sephiroth was looking at her behind as she walked up the steps. Blushing slightly she tried to quicken her pace to reach the top as quickly as she could. He was so quiet that she couldn't hear his footsteps as he made his way up the stpes.

"So, um, what course are you doing?" she asked Sephiroth, trying to break the silence.

"Physical Education, with minors in Biology, Physics and Mathematics" he told her, his rich voice reverberating around the narrow corridor.

"Wow, you must be really intelligent" she told him as she stopped in front of the guest room. He merely shrugged in reply and kept his stony face neutral as always. Slightly irritated about the lack of response she opened the door of the guest room and walked inside. Sephiroth slowly entered the room, wondering whether or not it will be worth the money he is paying for it.

'I hope this isn't as bad as the rest of the slums' he though to himself, as he watched the girl in pink walk into the room.

Luckily for him, and for the tenants, the room was well kept and tidy. It had simple white wallpaper adorning the walls, with a small rectangular window over looking the streets below. There was a small white bed with clean linen, and a wooden bedside table holding a tiny lamp. After the quick inspection he turned to the woman beside him, Aeris.

"It will do" he told her simply. His words seemed to infuriate her, and her eyes narrowed slightly. Huffing in indignation she stood on her tip toes to try and match his height.

'How dare he!' she though to herself. The whole silent treatment he was giving her hurt, and now he dare insult her house.

"It will do? Who do you think you are? We may live in the slums but we still look after our house!" she told him angrily. Sephiroth simply stared her down with cool eyes, a small smirk gracing his face. However, this only seemed to irritate her more than previous.

"What do you find funny?" she asked him, almost growling. It took all of Sephiroth's willpower not to laugh in her face. Merely shrugging he walked past her and set his bags down on the bed. Turning to his angry host her measured her up with calm eyes.

"Seeing as I am paying for this room, you are excused" he told her smugly. He watched her flare up at his remark and storm angrily out of the room, slamming the door and stomping down the steps.

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Aeris had never been so angry in her life at one person before. This smug, arrogant man had ignored her, shunning her in front of everyone at the university and now had the gall to order her about in her own house. As she stormed into the kitchen to find her mother shocked at her sudden and angry entrance.

"What's wrong, dear?" her mother asked her as she put the kettle on. Aeris simply sat down at the table and huffed in annoyance.

"What's wrong? That man is a jerk!" she cried. Elmyra tried to shush her daughter but it didn't work, Aeris was too angry.

"Why dear?" Elmyra asked. The man seemed tidy enough, he was handsome, well spoken and hygienic but he was a little lacking in the social skills.

"Because he is! He keeps on ignoring me every time I try to talk to him!" she told her mother. Elmyra simply sighed and poured the warm water into three cups and added the tea to them. Sitting down across from her daughter she handed a cup to her, which Aeris accepted. She took a small sip and allowed the warm liquid to calm her slightly.

"He's probably just shy" Elmyra told her. Aeris looked at her mother, shaking her head.

"No Mom, he's arrogant and full of himself! Why can't we have another lodger instead of him?" she asked her. Elmyra shook her head in response, smiling sadly.

"We need the money, dear, and many people can't afford to pay for a room" she said to her daughter. Aeris, of course, knew that this was the case so she had to agree.

"Okay, Mom. But if he keeps on acting like this then I'll…I'll…" she said, unable to think of something. Anger wasn't one of her usual traits, but this man seemed to rub her the wrong way (not that way! Perhaps later).

"Alright dear. Now" she said as she handed her the third cup "take this up to his room, please"

Aeris could only throw her mother a withering look as she picked up the cup of hot tea and walked out with it. She travelled up the stairs slowly, careful not to spill the hot liquid over herself. After careful negotiation she managed to arrive at the door, not spilling a single drop. Before she knocked the door she tried to muster up her angriest face she could. Smiling happily at her new success, she quickly reverted her face back to an angry scowl. Knocking the door loudly, she waited impatiently for Sephiroth to answer.

'Now, he better apologise to me or I'm going to get really…oh…my…gods…' she thought dumbly.

Aeris could only stare in shock at the sight that presented itself. Sephiroth stood before her, dressed only in a pair of black trousers. Aeris stared at his bare chest, which was eye-level to her. He had a perfectly toned body that suited his medium build, and his shoulder's weren't too broad. His stomach was flat and well defined and his muscular arms hung loosely at his side.

'Oh Gods…am I drooling?' Aeris asked herself, feeling her face flair up.

"Yes?" he asked her, trying to shake her out of the reverie that she was in. He was in the middle of changing when a loud knock on the door interrupted him, which was how he found himself standing in the hallway with a flame red Aeris.

"I…um…your tea" she stuttered, holding a cup of tea out to him. He looked down at the cup she had presented him. He had to admit it smelled inviting to him, and he nodded in response. He gently took the cup from her hands and stepped back into the room, closing the door behind him.

Aeris stared at the closed door in front of her, trying to pull herself away. When she went up to confront him she had never expected him to answer the door topless. She desperately tried to cool her face before she went back downstairs.

'Wow…' was all she could think. 'Why did he have to be attractive…no…unbelievably attractive…mouth watering…'

Aeris dumbly turned away and walked down the steps towards the kitchen, still reeling from the encounter with Sephiroth. As she entered the kitchen she saw her mother preparing some dishes. Elmyra heard her daughter enter the kitchen and pull up a chair. As she turned around she could see her daughter blushing madly.

"What's wrong dear? You look flustered" she asked Aeris. Aeris gave a shaky smile to her mother.

"Yes Mom, I'm fine" she told her.

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Another chapter done. Sorry about it being short, but I have little time. Anyway, please review as it'll be greatly appreciated.

Preview: Sephiroth doesn't spend all of his night at home? What does he get up to? More characters will be introduced as well.

Please Review.


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